Blind Guardian is a German power metal band started in the mid-1980s in Krefeld, Germany. Before calling themselves Blind Guardian, the band released two demos under the name Lucifer's Heritage in 1985 and 1986.
From the beginning, Blind Guardian have been inspired by the fictional worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien and other fantasy authors, like Michael Moorcock, as well as traditional legends and epics. Over the years, a running theme has developed associating the band members with traveling bards.
Blind Guardian was formed in 1984 as Lucifer's Heritage. They released two demos which were called Symphonies of Doom (1985) and Battalions of Fear (1986). The first studio album came out in 1988 and was called Battalions of Fear. The first tour took place shortly after the release. At this point the band had between 150 and 300 fans at their shows.
After the release of the second album, Hansi went through an operation which would make the band drop the plans to tour again. With the release of Tales From the Twilight World the interest in concerts of the band got bigger and bigger. When they were touring in Germany the concert was attended by 500 to 800 people.
Two years later, when Somewhere Far Beyond was released, Blind Guardian achieved great success and for the first time, the band played in Japan in front of 4000 fans. The album was also on the top of the international charts.
Blind Guardian's popularity has continued to grow from an initial following in Europe and Japan to one of the most well-known power metal bands in the world. The single for "And Then There Was Silence," for instance, reached #1 in Spain and #7 in Canada, despite its fourteen-minute length.
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The Way of the Shadow Blade: Prologue
